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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797772">3AM</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidebysidewithafriend/pseuds/sidebysidewithafriend'>sidebysidewithafriend</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Minor Angst, blanket sharing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:34:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidebysidewithafriend/pseuds/sidebysidewithafriend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the fire alarm in Sirius’s dorm building goes off at 3 in the morning (in the middle of winter no less), he finds himself sharing a blanket with a cute stranger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>186</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>3AM</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The beeping of the fire alarm filtered into Sirius’s sleeping brain, burrowing in until he couldn’t help but wake up. At which point he groaned and wrapped his pillow around his head, trying to block out the noise. </p><p>But this was a fire alarm, so really he had to get up. Grudgingly, he removed the pillow from his head and fumbled for his phone to check the time. The light from the screen was blinding in the darkness of his dorm room, but after a moment his eyes adjusted to see that it was 3:07 AM. </p><p>With a further groan he got out of bed the only way his half-asleep body would cooperate: rolling out of bed. Hitting the floor did at least sort of serve to wake him up, as did the cold now that he wasn’t cocooned in blankets. </p><p>
  <em> Stupid fire alarm.  </em>
</p><p>He hauled himself to his feet, grabbed the nearest jacket, which turned out to be his leather jacket, and fumbled his way into it. Sleeping shirtless was fine, until one had to get up at 3AM in the middle of winter. </p><p>Movement was easier now that he was upright, and he made to leave before realising a jacket and pyjama pants might not cut it. He snatched one of the blankets off his bed and stepped blearily out into the chaos of the hallway. A tide of sleepy college students bore him down the stairs, out the main door and onto the lawn to join the rest of the building’s inhabitants. </p><p>He’d been right to grab the blanket; it was <em> freezing </em>. A group of students nearby were chatting about the possible causes of the fire alarm, and whether it was a drill or not. Several not-very-sober boys seemed to be trying to party, despite the cold. Another group were wrapped in sleeping bags playing cards; as he watched, one of them beckoned to him. Sirius was not interested in joining any of those groups. He was fairly well-known around the dorm, and suspected there were more than a few people who would’ve welcomed the opportunity to hang out. But it was 3AM and all he wanted to do was be in bed. </p><p>Huddling deeper into his blanket and jacket, he found a place where he could perch on the low garden wall, well away from the lethargic students still stumbling out of the doors. Here he was more or less hidden in the darkness, outside the pool of light by the door. </p><p>He did wonder what had caused the fire alarm, but he didn’t feel like talking to anyone, particularly not after the voicemail his mother had left him last night. It was a wonder he’d gotten to sleep at all, really. Apparently he was a disgrace, among other things; despite their years of animosity, he’d hoped she might still harbour some kind of a soft spot for him. Last night had dashed those hopes. </p><p><em> Well, screw her. </em>He mostly didn’t care… but some part of him had still hoped she cared. Hoped in vain, apparently. He hadn’t even listened to the full voicemail, but he’d heard enough to know he wouldn’t be welcome back home. </p><p>A gust of wind found its way past the blanket, chilling his neck. He tugged the zip of his jacket up higher. <em> Almost as cold as mother, </em> he thought ruefully. </p><p>“Mind if I sit here?” A voice jolted him out of his thoughts. </p><p>He glanced up, but couldn’t see much in the dark. By the voice, it seemed to be a guy, but he couldn’t be sure of anything else. “I guess,” he said. </p><p>The stranger sat, a metre or so away from Sirius, and said nothing more. </p><p>Sirius fumbled in his pocket for his phone, which of course he’d grabbed on his way out, and turned on the torch. The beam of light told him that this was, in fact, the cute tall boy he’d seen across the dining hall last week. Curly brown hair, brown eyes and freckles. Cheeks flushed pink from the cold. </p><p>Sirius didn’t know his name, but he’d at least been halfway sensible; he was wearing a sweater and a beanie. Still, he was shivering. Sirius could practically hear his teeth chattering. “Wanna share my blanket?” </p><p>“I—no, it’s fine.” </p><p>“You’re not fine, you’re freezing,” Sirius objected, shuffling over and trying not to complain that his butt was now extra cold. </p><p>Despite the stranger’s objections, he didn’t move when Sirius slung the blanket around his thin shoulders. He did flinch away when Sirius leaned up against him, though. </p><p>“Sorry,” mumbled Sirius, focusing intently on a loose thread of the blanket, illuminated by his phone torch. Truth be told, the contact was rather awkward for him as well. He didn’t have many close friends in the dorms, and his family weren’t warm by any stretch of the imagination, so for years any kind of contact had made him uneasy. The stranger’s sweater was very soft, though. </p><p>“It’s alright,” he said. “I, er—what’s your name?” </p><p>“Sirius.” He left the torch on, but pointed it at the ground. “Sirius Black.” </p><p>“Remus Lupin. When do you suppose they’ll let us back in?” </p><p>Sirius shrugged, nearly knocking the blanket off both their shoulders. “I don’t know, but it better be soon.” </p><p>Remus let out a short laugh. Sirius could still feel him shivering; he took a deep breath and leaned a little closer. This time, Remus didn’t pull away, but leaned into the contact as well. Sirius had to admit it was much warmer this way, and it allowed him to close the gap of the blanket at the front. </p><p>“Thanks for the blanket,” said Remus. “I’m going to be annoyed if this is a drill, because who the hell schedules a fire drill for 3AM?” </p><p>“Hopefully no-one.” Sirius, his cheek resting on Remus’s shoulder, was finding it a little hard to concentrate on the conversation. In spite of the cold air, Remus’s sweater smelled like woodsmoke. He took another breath. Chocolate, too, if he wasn’t mistaken. Inside the blanket there was now a bubble of warm air, and Sirius was starting not to notice the cold the wall had leached out of him. </p><p>Moving slowly to avoid disturbing the blanket, Remus slipped a tentative arm around Sirius. Sirius couldn’t say he minded. He was starting to feel delightfully sleepy; his eyelids began to droop. </p><p><em> You’ve been wanting to talk to Remus all week, </em> a voice inside his head reminded him. <em> This is as good a time as any. </em>The voice was right. He forced his eyes open and looked back up at Remus. “What’re you studying?” </p><p>“I’m an English major, how about you?” </p><p>“Still not sure what I want to major in. Mum’s disappointed I didn’t go into medicine, though.” Not what he’d expected to share with someone he’d basically just met, but then again, he was practically sleeping on Remus’s shoulder. “She’s disappointed for a lot of reasons, but that’s one of them.” </p><p>“Sorry about that,” said Remus quietly. “I don’t really know what that’s like, but it must be horrible.” </p><p><em> Yep. </em>He kept going for some reason, the words tumbling over each other too fast to stop. “Don’t think she wants me to come home at Christmas. I guessed that, I didn’t really want to go, but I guess I hoped she’d still want me, or tolerate me. I dunno. Might be me that messed it up, last time I was home, but she started it. Old hag.” </p><p>“You could go to the dorm’s Christmas party, maybe. I’m going this year, give my parents a bit of space in the house for a bit longer.” </p><p>“You asking me out?” He was definitely tired, he decided, and probably more than a little delirious. Was it possible to be drunk on someone’s presence? <em> Snap out of it, Sirius, </em>he told himself. He was going to scare Remus off. </p><p>Remus was silent for a moment, and Sirius’s heart sank. He’d ruined this, hadn’t he? Just like he ruined any other friendship he tried to start. Emotional intimacy had been too hard; that’s how he’d earned his reputation as a bit of a player. Casual relationships were easier. But Remus… ten minutes curled up in a shared blanket and Sirius desperately wanted something more. Something to bring feeling back to his cold heart. Hell, he’d already spilled some of his darkest secrets to a complete stranger. </p><p>Finally, Remus said, “I don’t know that I’d go far. But we could work up to that, if you really wanted.” </p><p>“Where’s your dorm?” Damn it, that sounded a little dirtier than Sirius had intended. </p><p>Remus didn’t seem that bothered, though. He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the squealing of a microphone’s static. Remus cursed; Sirius jumped. </p><p>“The source of the fire has been contained,” boomed a voice over the microphone. Sirius wasn’t sure who it was, though. “I would like to stress that dormitories are <em> not </em> a place to create homemade fireworks, <em> James Potter </em>.” </p><p>“Name and shame,” muttered Remus. “One way to try and stop the idiot doing it again.” </p><p>“Not sure I even know who it is.” </p><p>Remus sat up a little straighter, looking over the heads of the crowd. To avoid being strangled by the blanket, Sirius straightened up too. </p><p>“The Indian boy in glasses looking sheepish. He’s in one of my classes this semester. Should’ve known it was him that caused this fire alarm, he’s always making trouble in class.” </p><p>Sirius laughed. He himself was not the most pleasant student, but at least he’d never set a building on fire at 3AM. </p><p>“In just a moment, you’ll be able to return to the building.” </p><p>A cheer went up from the assembled students. Someone distinctly cried, “Oh, warmth!” </p><p>“It would’ve been much more pleasant in there,” suggested someone else. </p><p>“Thanks for the blanket,” said Remus, standing up. “I’d best get going, though. My dorm is on the top floor and I want to be reacquainted with my own blankets as soon as possible.” He began to walk away, joining the tail of the crowd surging towards the doors. </p><p>Sirius didn’t blame him, but the blanket was a lot less comforting without Remus providing extra warmth. “Wait,” he called. “Which dorm is yours?” </p><p>“564,” Remus called back over his shoulder. </p><p>Before returning to bed that night, Sirius found dorm 564 and slipped a piece of paper under the door, containing his phone number and the words “drinks this weekend?” </p>
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